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top five places i need to visit in the world

I never appreciated travel until I recently discovered my love and fascination with culture. There is so much to be seen and experienced in this world, and I can only hope that God keeps me on this earth long enough for me to immerse myself into new places and cultures outside of the United States before I die. I have a deep fascination with languages, translations, and communication between people of different countries and backgrounds. (If I had the time and the money to do so, I’d love to learn many languages and be completely fluent) So, with that being said, the top five places I want to visit in this world are as follows, in order of “importance” or, desire:

1. London, UK: I’ve been dying to visit London for years. I know it has a rainy and dreary climate, but to me, that’s part of the London culture. I’d love to ride in the eye, see a real red telephone booth, and observe the guards with the furry hats. And, this is one of the only places where I can speak English and be fully understood…well, almost. 🙂

2. Athens, Greece: The language I am dying to learn is Greek. Everything about Greece is so intriguing to me. I always loved studying Greek history–whether that was ancient Greek mythology or the history of Greece in general. I love that the ancient Greeks started the Olympics. So much history is in Greece–all of those buildings turned into now-monuments that are still standing after thousands of years. I’ve never been somewhere in the world where such a huge part of history took place, especially so many years ago. Love it–cannot wait to visit.

3. Paris, France: Obviously, the city of lights is in everyone’s top places to visit in the world. Personally, I’d love to visit France as whole, but really–how many other cities are well-known to the non-French? Umm…zero. The movie in France at EPCOT is beyond anything I’ve ever seen; if that doesn’t make someone want to go France, I don’t know what will. Yes, I’ve heard people are rude, Paris is dirty, blah blah, but I’d love to at least experience all of that for myself, and of course see the Eiffel Tower myself.

4. Bangkok, Thailand: Call me crazy, but all things Thai fascinate me. Middle Eastern culture is one thing that I am constantly pondering as I have found just how different it is from our Westernized, North American culture. It’s the Manhattan, the Shanghai, the London of Thailand–the center of everything in its country. Its canals and boats are well-known, with the water that they drink, bathe in, and cook with all from the same river. (That information is from a favorite movie of mine, Brokedown Palace) I would also love to learn the language of Thai, even though it may be one of the hardest for English-speakers like myself to learn.

5. Dubai, UAE: I’ve known for years that Dubai was basically the wealthiest city in the world, but to me it always appeared a city that doesn’t get as much as attention as it deserves, perhaps. (Or maybe that’s just my distorted perception) I didn’t realize how much Dubai had to offer until I saw an episode of The Amazing Race this last fall where they spent an entire episode in Dubai, first running through the 120 degree desert in search of water inside vases and then to SkiDubai–an indoor ski slope that is 28 degrees inside, year around. The SkiDubai resort is unlike any other structure I’ve ever seen; it is ridiculous looking, can be seen from the freeway miles away, and is a weird concept–but I guess it shows just how much money the Arabs have to spend on a structure such as that. (Not to mention how much it costs to spend a day there) Arabic is another language I’ve been eager to learn as well; their characters are nothing like English, Spanish, or even any Asian culture. Ahhh, Dubai, I might have to move you to number 3.

I personally think that the best time of year to go to London, if you do go, is around spring time. Yes, you will have to wear a coat, and it could rain (but to be honest, this can even happen in the summer) – for the following reasons: 1. even in the winter the London underground is boiling hot, 2. less tourists, 3. you have more chance if actually seeing some of the sights, 4. accommodation etc is cheaper.

About the Eye, if you’re afraid of heights, it’s a no-no. From what I can remember a roundtrip is about 30-45 minutes, and it’s amazingly high!

I also like the other cities on your list. I’m not too sure if I’d pick them myself (except for Paris, which I LOVE) but they’re still definately interesting places to potentially go!